Play or game ball



June 10, 1941. B. REACH 2,245,115

' PLAY OR GAME BALL Filed April 23, 1938 Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'PLAY R GAME BALL I Milton 3. Reach, Springfield, Mass. Application April 2 3, 1938, Serial No. 203,915

(on. era-s) 5 Claims.

The invention relates to play or game balls and more particularly to a ball construction and method of making the same, embodying a carcass or body member having finishing or covering members applied to the carcass and providing a channel formation between their adjacent edges to aid controllability of the ball in handling and in flight.

The invention has for an object the provision of a channel or groove formation at the'seam or joint between the adjacent edges of the overlying finishing or covering, in a manner embodying a novel construction and method of making the same.

Other objects will appear hereinafter, the invention comprising the features, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing: v

Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a ball embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of the same showing the channel seam construction in cross section, the bladder not being shown,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, showing the finishing or covering means applied to the ball body or carcass, with the parts in position for the molding operation.

Referring to the drawing, the channel seam construction embodying the invention is indicated at I, and comprises finishing or covering pieces or panels 2 overlying and secured to the carcass or body portion or shell 3 of the ball structure, the finishing members 2 preferably having their adjacent edges or edge portions 4, reduced in thickness and shaped inwardly toward the body portion into substantially abutting relationship at the lower portion or bottom of the channel or groove.

Desirably, the edges 4 may bereduced, as by skiving, preferably on their under sides on an angle from a point within the extreme edges a suitable distance, say about one quarteroi an inch in some types of balls, such as a basketball.

In the embodiment of the invention in a. ball of the inflatable valved type, such as shown and described, for example, in my Patent 2,116,479 0! May 3, 1938, and in my Patent 2,211,669 of Aug. 13, 1940, according to one method 01. the present invention, after the carcass or body 3 of the ball is made and before cementing the finishing panels 2 in place thereon, the edges of the panels are preferably skived as stated above, and as indicated in Fig. 3. The finishing panels, which are desirably oi leather, are then cohesively or adhesively applied as by cementing to the carcass withthe Ieatheredges 4, resulting from the skiving operation, preferably slightly overlapping, as shown in Fig. 3.

With the covering or finishing pieces 01 material properly laid in place, there is then cemented thereto, over the skived or reduced overlapping edges, 9. flexible means 5, preferably oi! rounded cross sectioi'l, as also indicated in Fig. 3. The flexible means 5 may desirably be in the form of a halt round or round wire or a hard twisted twine or cord.

The ball with the flexible means adhesively applied to the finishing or covering panels at their skived and overlapping edges, is then placed in the mold with an inflatable interior, as by the provision of a bladder therein (not shown), and

covering or finishing material 2 cohesively applied to the carcass member throughout their contacting surfaces, including the skived or reduced substantially abutting edges which are depressed to form the channelseam. The carcass desirably may comprise textile material which may be in the form or multiple laminations homogeneously bonded together, such as described in my Patents 2,116,479 of May 3, 1938, and 2,211,669 of Aug. 13, 1940, but the invention is not restricted in this respect.

The adhesive material may desirably be rubber cement desirably forming a rubber layer, as indicated at 6, which will readily flow and ensure bonding contact between the carcass and all portions or the under surfaces of the overlying finishing or covering panels including the skived edge portions.

It is not desired to restrict the invention to the method described, as the skived or reduced edges may be pressed or rolled down and cohesively secured to the carcass prior to molding, or even after molding, with a suitable adhesive cement applied to the contacting surfaces.

Also, the invention is not restricted to balls of the inflatable valved type such as for basketball, soccer and football, but also may be applied in which. constitute a depression or outer surface of the cover.

like manner to a play or game ball of solid construction for providing a channelseam.

Iclaim: r .g

1. A play ball having a carcass or body portion, c'over material thereon, the marginal portions of which are of reducedthickness in respect to the main body --of saidv material, said reduced a marginal portions being depressed below the surface of the main part of said material with their edges in abutting relation, and a layer of vulcanizabie adhesive between the cover material and the carcass, said layer'being thicker at that .portion which underlies the thinned margins of; the cover material spaced apart from the abut-f: ting edges thereof, substantially as described.

2. An inflatable ball comprising a bladder, a

shell surrounding'said bladder, and a cover or casing for 'said'sheli made up'of a plurality of i separate and distinct pieces of material that'are' secured to said shell by an adhesive, said cover pieces having edge portions of reduced thickness groove in the 3-. A play or gameball having a carcass or body portion, and a cover or casing for said carcass made up of a plurality of separate pieces of material that are secured to said carcass by an adhesive, said cover pieces having edge Portions of reduced thickness which constitute a depression' or groove in the outer surface of the cover.

4. A play or game ballaccording to claim 3 in which said reduced edge portions extend in opposite directions in respect to each other, the under sides of said oppositely extending reduced edge portions being adhesively secured to the said carcass, said reduced edge portions being inwardly depressed in'respect to the outer surface of the cover to constitute said groove.

5. A-play or 'gameball according to claim 3, in

which said edge portions are reduced at their the carcass.

under sides, and are inwardly depressed in respect to the outer surface of the cover with their said reduced under sides adhesively secured to MILTON 'B. REACH. 

